


he changes the game, she plays and she raises the stakes

by AlexSeanchai



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 3 Sentence Fiction, Adrien Agreste is good at keeping people's attention, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fake Character Death, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Identity Reveal, Podfic Welcome, Puns & Word Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-18 22:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexSeanchai/pseuds/AlexSeanchai
Summary: Mayura brought the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses to Hawkmoth, only for him to realize he doesn't know the incantation to wish the world how he wills it after all. Perhaps if their teammates, among them the Fox Ladyblogger and the conniving Rat girl and his failed-Snake of a defiant son, know their beloved leaders are dead and they themselves may soon die, and only telling Hawkmoth the correct incantation will save any of them…?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 17
Kudos: 354





	he changes the game, she plays and she raises the stakes

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: _reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated_

"You're lying," Adrien tells Hawkmoth—voice shaking, holding back tears, as though he believes Hawkmoth's words even as he protests them: he knows Hawkmoth lies when he says _Chat Noir_ is dead, he can't be _certain_ it's a lie when Hawkmoth says Ladybug is: "you're lying!"

Mayura is standing back to back with Hawkmoth, watching Alya groan, Kim bleed, Mylène gasp for breath, and Marinette struggle to her feet—Mayura isn't _doing_ anything, though, as though Marinette is no threat, and Hawkmoth is watching _Adrien_ (and Nino and Luka and Max, all the battered, broken Miraculous wielders Ladybug leads, Adrien doesn't know where Chloé is any more than he does Ladybug but all the rest are _here_ ): "Ladybug's alive!" Adrien yells, to keep his attention, to keep their attention a few moments longer, "we won't tell you how to wish it how you want it, Ladybug's going to _kill_ you," and he isn't lying himself, none of them know the right words for wishing, and if Ladybug doesn't (can't) murder the man for what he's doing to Plagg and Tikki and Nooroo and _Marinette_ then Adrien _will_ —

Marinette trips past Mayura and Hawkmoth—the gold-edged violet Hawkmoth wears crackles to black-spotted purple as green light flares over Marinette and she pivots to stand between them and Adrien as cool death bubbles up in her black-gloved hand: "Ladybug's a baker's daughter," she pants out, " _sticky fingers_ , punch her down and she _rises_ ," and whatever Hawkmoth sees in her eyes means what Adrien sees in his is abject fear: "now _where's my partner?_ " and Adrien must answer with a fierce smile "Right behind you as always, my Lady."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Dreamwidth](https://alexseanchai.dreamwidth.org/) and [Tumblr](https://alexseanchai.tumblr.com/).


End file.
